Best In Show – 2013 FFF Retrospective

When you read our list of the best films of the 2013 FFF, there are a few things to keep in mind:

–Most importantly, we did not see every film! Time constraints only allowed us to get to less than half of the 170+ movies shown at the festival. This list is only the best of all the movies we did see.

–There is no comparison! How do you judge a 90 second experimental, short film as compared to a 90 minute feature narrative? How do you compare a documentary to a comedy? It’s impossible. So this picking the favorite becomes a simple matter of selecting the film that most touched us.

–Some people think LanceAround doesn’t have a clue! Yes, take everything I say with a grain of salt. Here’s a link to a post where, at the very end, one person will make a comment that says, in essence, I have no business reviewing movies! You may need to click on the comments tab at the bottom of the post to see his opinions.

–We all get something different out of each film! It’s not uncommon for Mrs. LanceAround, SunnyStefani, NumberOneEmber, NumberOneSon and I to all have different opinions on any film we see. Given that, how do we decide which film is the best? That’s easy. I pick it. (Well…it is my blog after all…)

With all that in mind, here’s the LanceAroundOrlando picks for the Best of the 2013 FFF.

Hysterical and Touching

BEST OVERALL MOVIE

Friend Request Pending
This creative short features fabulous acting by Judi Dench, a timely and hilarious script plus great production values. It’s just the right length and keeps you on the edge of your seat while simultaneously rolling in the aisles with laughter; the perfect comedy.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Well Edited and Very Funny

Backyard Jam
This film won the Grand Jury Award for Best Animated Short. While the animation is rather simplistic, the script is hilarious and the precise editing really makes this film work. It’s the story of kids whose skateboards wind up in the neighbors yard–fiercely protected by his dog. Careful, there could be a trap!

Burglar Not Alone in Closet

Things You Don’t Joke About
Our runner up for Best in Show and the Audience Award Winner for Best Short Film, this little ditty was absolutely hysterical. Tells the tale of a burglar who gets caught during his last robbery attempt.

Does Love Feel Like This?

Head Over Heels
Winner of the Audience Award for Best International Short, this creative stop motion piece is the perfect allegory of the relationship between a man and his wife. The story is told without words, but the visuals leave an image that will stay with you for a long time.

Jeremy Workman-Magical Universe

Magical Universe
An incredible documentary that really moved Mrs. LanceAround and myself. A lonely artist spends almost all of his time creating artwork from the hundreds of Barbie Dolls he’s collected. Barbie is the perfect model because, after all, she never complains when you wake up at 3am with an idea for a new photo shoot. When a talented documentarian enters the artist’s life, things begin to change. Watching this change evolve like the pieces of a jigsaw coming together is poignant. The filmmaker, who is an accomplished editor, edits the movie in a way that is a homage to the artist’s work. While several filmgoers missed this point entirely, those who got it saw the underlying genius behind this movie.

BEST FOOD

Yummy!

Ethos Vegan Kitchen
Ethos brought samples of their delicious vegetarian foods and desserts to the opening night party. They were scrumptious.

BEST OF THE BEST

Cary Elwes
Wait, Cary is not a film. That’s true, but his presentation was so magnificent it deserves to be mentioned.

Sometimes the FFF will feature a famous guest and, after their talk, one realizes that they are very different from who you’d hope they would be in real life. Of course, it’s not fair to judge any actor based on what you see on the screen. But, really, some of them can be so disappointing.

Not so with Cary Elwes!

A Gentleman and an Actor

Cary turned out to be a real gentleman. He has a nice, easy going disposition. He speaks passionately about his movies. When he mentions other people, he speaks of them with grace, dignity and reverence.

One of the more touching moments in his talk was when an audience member pointed out that The Princess Bride had catapulted him to almost cult-like status and wondered how he felt about getting the kind of attention that comes with that. His response, “If they put ‘As You Wish’ on my tombstone, that would be fine with me!” was only topped by the last comment he made.

Someone from the audience asked him if he had any regrets, like “a role that you turned down or any…” Before she could finish her question, Cary responded forcefully yet politely and to the delight of the entire auditorium:

“I don’t live in regret.”

What a fabulous line!

BEST FLORIDA FILM FESTIVAL MOMENT
Hands down, watching Cary Elwes give a hug and a kiss to Olga from Florida Dream Homes was the highlight of this year’s Florida Film Festival. That story, in its entirety, is coming up in the next post on Monday, 29 April 2013 at 10:15am EST. You absolutely want to read it. Guaranteed to make you smile and a great way to start your week! It even includes a video.